News

The 2020 - 2021 season of the National Theatre of Bucharest ends in the evening of July 18th, with three successful shows in repertoire - "The Dinner Game", "The Man who Saw Death" and "Class". After a holiday shorter than usual, the new season 2021 - 2022 starts on August 26th, when the shows from the current repertoire are scheduled to return to the NTB stages, as well as new premieres. The day after the final gong, we are looking forward to it and hope to announce more good news on the evening of the UNITER Gala, which takes place on Monday evening, July 19th, 2021, in the Grand Hall of NTB - the news of the Directing Award to Carmen Lidia Vidu, nominated for her show Romanian Diary.1989, the only premiere produced at NTB in ​​the summer of 2020, in full pandemic period… Regardless of the result, the director and the show, with all its performers, deserve prolonged applause! We end a turbulent season for the Romanian theatre, with an unpredictable schedule, with suspended performances given several times due to the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and delayed premieres. And yet, in recent months, we have been able to offer theatre lovers 3 premieres: Farewell Mr. Haffmann by Jean-Philippe Daguerre, directed by Felix Alexa, (official premiere, on June 2nd and 3rd), at the Painting Hall. "A show about fragile beings thrown into the whirlwind of history and personal events that drive them crazy. A fragility that does not exclude strength and courage ", as the director remarked. Let's Talk about Life! by Ana Sorina Corneanu, the play that won the Award for best play of 2019 at the UNITER Awards Gala, directed by Zsuzsánna Kovács (premiered on June 13th), at the Black Box Hall. "A roller coaster of the human mind, an introspection of the soul in search of truth, a play about who we are… when we do not relate to what others expect us to be," says the author. Carnival Stuffby I.L. Caragiale, experiences in the direction of Alexandru Dabija a turn of style, but also of perception, the comedy turns into drama, bringing through these means even more of Caragiale’s world to ours. “In all aspects, Alexandru Dabija’s show exemplifies (…) our destiny nowadays. The Carnival continues, like all the vanity and futility of this world. ”(Bedros Horasangian, Cultural Observatory) The common denominator of these premieres is the quality of acting creations, noted and appreciated by audiences and critics. Plans for the new season? On the first working week of the new season, the prominent director of Romanian origin, established in France, Alexandra Badea will begin work on a new project, Exile, intended for the big stage, on her own text. In the cast you will find most of the young actors of NTB, as well as the new theatre-dance show "brand" Gigi Căciuleanu, which has already entered rehearsals, for Studio Hall: Kiritza or the Game of... A script based on the well-known play "Old LadyKiritza" by Vasile Alecsandri, whose creation is just 200 years old… Until we hear of the reopening of the season, we wish you a most pleasant summer and holiday! See you healthy starting August 26th, in the NTB halls!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

"Theatre Networking Talents x „New Stages South-East" The 2021 edition of the International Festival dedicated to Young Directors - Theatre Networking Talents (TNT), organized by the "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre of Craiova and coordinated by director Bobi Pricop, will unfold in partnership with the Goethe Institute through the "New Stages South-East" programme. This year's edition will bring together 5 graduate directors in 2020 and 2021 who will work with 5 young playwrights through October 19th and 22nd, 2021, under the guidance of mentors Theodor Cristian Popescu (director) & Rebekka Kricheldorf (playwright). The workshops will be conducted entirely in English, both offline (at the Port Cultural Cetate) and through online work sessions.  The 5 projects that will result from the workshop will be presented in an online showcase, which will be attended by theatre managers, directors of cultural institutions, festival selectors, theatre critics, thus fulfilling TNT's mission to become a showcase platform of young directors and theatre creators. Each project will be adopted by a partner theatre ("Marin Sorescu" National Theatre of Craiova, "IL Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest, "Radu Stanca" National Theatre of Sibiu - German Department, Teatrelli, Piatra-Neamț Youth Theatre), whereas in 2022 the 5 director-playwright teams will develop the plays resulting from working sessions together with the actors of the partner theatres, in view of a reading show / work-in-progress presentation. Subsequently, the projects can be developed into performances that enter the repertoire of producing theatres, and the best performative readings / resulting performances will be presented in Berlin in the final stage of the project "New Stages South-East" in 2023. New Stages South-East is a regional project of the Goethe Institute, addressed to playwrights and professionals in the field, involving artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece (Athens / Thessaloniki), Croatia, Romania / Moldova, Serbia, Cyprus.  Proposed topics: Starting from topics such as migration, pandemics, regional conflicts and populist / nationalist regimes, etc., developed or adapted according to the specific area of ​​interest of each creator, we want to discover the ways in which political and social topical events influence contemporary theatre. Conditions for participation:To register for the selection process, directors must: - be graduates of theatre directing in the academic years 2020 and 2021 // Bachelor's or Master's degree;- be good English speakers;- send a portfolio / CV and a cover letter (max. 2 pages), in which to talk about possible topics / ideas they want to develop within the project and the expectations related to such a work process. To enroll in the selection process, playwrights must: - be fluent in English;- send a portfolio / CV and a cover letter describing the topics / ideas they want to develop in the workshops, and / or a sketch / draft for a possible scene to write in the project.  Deadline:All materials must be sent to tntxnewstages2021@gmail.com, by August 15th, 2021. The selection of participants will be announced by August 24th, 2021, and the director / playwright teams will be composed of the festival coordinators depending on the proposed themes. Important:Theorganizers will reimburse the accommodation, meals and transportation expenses of all participants in this project phase.  Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

"Carnival Stuff", a show of vitriolic humour, directed by Alexandru Dabija! One would think that Alexandru Dabija "reads" Caragiale in a "different" key. In fact, he looks at him inwardly, and he likes what he sees. And with what he likes he identifies. A Caragiale lucid and cynical to the point of cruelty with his heroes, a side that Dabija exploits with great interest in his performances. Let's remember his previous production, at the National, with "Lottery Tickets" (!), a show that enjoyed, in the Caragiale anniversary year 2012, praiseworthy reviews, attentive interpretations, several awards and participation in important festivals. A shattering vision of contemporary human emptiness and derision is also offered with "Carnival Stuff"; a modern staging faithful to the Caragialian text, with a humour that is no longer benevolent but rather vitriolic. A provocative performance whose aesthetics is close to that of the silent film, which brings to light the absurdity of the human condition with realistic means. The stage set (Raluca Alexandrescu's set; Liliana Cenean's costumes) and the scenic movement (Florin Fieroiu) capture the whole mechanism of this classic black and white comedy in which the destinies of the puppet characters are trapped as if in a mill, "pervaded" by the thought of revenge in their own foolishness and imbecility. Rejecting the temptation of the carnival with confetti, Alexandru Dabija proposes a dizzying carousel of emptiness and nothingness. Starring: Irina Movilă, Natalia Călin, Rodica Ionescu, Claudiu Bleonț, Gavril Pătru, Emilian Oprea, Marius Rizea / Ionuț Toader, Mihai Munteniță, Mihai Calotă and Ciprian Nicula. The preview of the show will take place on 19th and 20th June 2021, at 8.00 p.m., and the official premiere is scheduled for 26th June 2021, at 8.00 p.m., at the Studio Hall. Until the end of July, when the season closes, you still have a few more opportunities to see the new show at the National Theatre of Bucharest. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre! An additional invitation: In the series #MemoryABC on the NTB Facebook page, we invite you to watch a moment of theatrical history in which you will find out how the first performance of Carnival Stuff was received by the audience and the press of the time, more than 136 years ago! You will also find out about the cast of that first production. We look forward to your impressions on our Facebook page, please include the hashtag in your reply: #MemoryABC.     Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

“We owe him a lot because he carried Eminescu's creation not only everywhere in Romania, on major stages, but also outside Romania, in major theater\\res and cultural institutions. Maybe some people do not open a book to read anymore, but they listen to it, and the way this Eminescu was built and delivered to us, communicated, is completely and utterly original”. We easily recognize in this "portrait" the exceptional personality of Ion Caramitru, whose privileged relationship with Eminescu's creation is unanimously acknowledged. The above words, of university professor Mircea A. Diaconu accompanied the very recent awarding, at the Ipoteşti Memorial - “Mihai Eminescu” Study Centre, of the Prize for promoting Eminescu’s work to the actor Ion Caramitru, manager of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre and UNITER president, within a ceremony organized on the occasion of the Mihai Eminescu Days, 132 years since the poet's death. The prize is awarded by the Ipoteşti Memorial, based on a decision adopted by a national jury, which included university professors Iulian Costache (University of Bucharest), Mircea A. Diaconu ("Ştefan cel Mare" University of Suceava) and Andrei Terian (University "Lucian Blaga" Sibiu). Ion Caramitru never forgets to state that his whole life stood under the sign of the poet, whose work he brought to light not only through utterance, but which he also capitalized on through initiatives of exceptional importance: “In four years of ministry (IC was Minister of Culture 1996-2000 nn), among other things, the digital facsimile of Eminescu's manuscripts ranked highest, through a government decision that I imposed.” The prize awarded in Ipotești was received with emotion and with the feeling of a lifetime achievement, Ion Caramitru confessing once again that he has “an everlasting passion for Eminescu” and that he has truly unique feelings while reciting Eminescu. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

The play of the year 2019, awarded by UNITER, on the NTB stage! An exceptional one-woman show, with Florentina Țilea! Let's Talk About Life! by Ana Sorina Corneanu, designated The best play of 2019, at the Drama Contest organized by UNITER, is the next premiere of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest, scheduled for the evening of June 13th, 2021, from 8.00 p.m., at the Black Box Hall. The same young director - Zsuzsánna Kovács, who recently staged Nick Payne's "Incognito" at the National, as part of the Open Doors for All Programme, was invited to perform, this time under the auspices of the Ion Sava Center for Theatrical Research and Creation from NTB, a show with the UNITER-awarded play. Florin Fieroiu signs the choreography, the musical composition belongs to Călin Țopa, and the set design is created by Gabi Albu. Florentina Țileaimpersonates Greta, the young woman who choreographs her future through options, gracefully dancing between the concrete example of her friend, employed at a multinational and the urging of inner voices, which send her to a less materialistic area. "Caught between what she wants and what society considers indispensable, Greta painstakingly builds a psychological escape plan, which changes every moment. A roller coaster of the human mind, an introspection of the soul in search of truth, a play about who we are… when we do not relate to what others expect us to be" says the author, Ana Sorina Corneanu. "Will she start in the direction that most people are heading or will she be able to formulate, by the end of the show, what she only feels at the beginning - the fact that she has started in another direction? - is one of the questions in the play, onto which meditated the show's director, Zsuzsánna Kovács.The man 's greatest curiosity, she continues, is how his life will look like, which will be his story… Greta invites us to participate in her show, whose playwright, director and actor of each role is herself. This show should help her decide in which direction to steer her story." In a context in which, amid an explosion of communication and social interaction, a pandemic occurred that threw us all into isolation and locked us in wider or narrower pens, generating a huge mass of frustrated people, whose plans for the future, aspirations, dreams were taken away or, at least postponed - Greta's character appears to us as an emblematic one. Zsuzsánna Kovács is from Sfântu Gheorghe. She studied directing at the “Ion Luca Caragiale” National University of Theatre and Cinematography in Bucharest, where she also graduated with a master's degree in the art of theatre director. In 2012, she directed “Central Park West” by Woody Allen, at Godot, “The Unfortunate” by Füst Milán, UNATC “I.L. Caragiale”, hosted by the Odeon Theatre, in the 2011 season. In 2015, she directed “Ibusár” by Parti Nagy Lajos, at Tamási Áron Theatre from Sfântu Gheorghe. She collaborates with Unteatru, where she edits shows such as “Liliom” by Molnár Ferenc, in 2016, “Nora” by Henrik Ibsen, in 2017, then “Alcestis - or who dies in your place” after Euripides, in 2019. In 2020, Zsuzsánna Kovács also makes her debut in the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatreof Bucharest with the show “Incognito” by Nick Payne. Ana Sorina Corneanu is a graduate of the Faculty of Theatre, acting department (Târgu-Mureş University of Arts and Spiru Haret University - Faculty of Arts, Bucharest) and of the Tudor Vornicu Television School - editorial department. Published books: The Diary of Fluffy-Sticky, Winter's Tale, Be Independent: Say "BYE" instead of "YES"! Emotional Development Guide. Collection of games for educating the child through theatrical art exercises, Practical guide for understanding emotions through art therapy, Diary(2019) and Let's talk about life, UNITEXT publishing house. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

Premiere at the Black Box Hall, Incognito by Nick Payne, a play about the power of imagination and the limits of knowledge Thenew premiere at the Black Box Hall of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatreof Bucharest, Incognito by Nick Payne, is a dynamic chain of stories about countless facets of the behaviour, thoughts and experiences that make up human nature. An emotional show about the power of science, the mysteries of intelligence and knowledge, which talks about the theft of Albert Einstein's brain. A play about neuroscience, memory and love, written by one of the most famous young English playwrights and screenwriters, Nick Payne. Equally passionate about science, the press nicknamed the playwright "Mr. Science”. After the international success with the play "Constellations", whose main character was quantum mechanics, "Incognito" proposes a protagonistfrom the category of the very fickle and unpredictable, the human brain. Incognito presents three stories, two of them inspired by real facts. The first talks about the theft of Albert Einstein's brain, the second presents the case of a pianist who, following an experimental brain operation, loses his short-term memory; the third, fictional, focuses on Martha, a neuropsychologist, who tries to know herself while probing the minds of her patients.  Under the direction of director Zsuzsánna Kovács and the set design of Corina Boboc, the actors Monica Davidescu, Aylin Cadîr, Ovidiu Cuncea and Lari Giorgescu achieve an extraordinary acting performance, performing over 20 roles, intelligently moving from one character to another, in an imaginary journey through the labyrinth of the human brain. Because, as Einstein said, “imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. " On Saturday, May 29th, 2021, at 8.00 p.m., the premiere of the show Incognito is scheduled - a project that is part of the "Open Doors for All" Programme.  For a limited number of seats, in compliance with the rules imposed by the pandemic, tickets were on sale at the box office and online. We look forward to welcoming you to the theatre!  Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Director Felix Alexa and set designer Andrada Chiriac return to the NTB stage with Farewell Mister Haffmann, a play written by French playwright Jean-Philippe Daguerre. Performed with great success on Parisian stages, Adieu, Monsieur Haffmann earned four Molière awards in 2018, France's highest theatrical distinction. A story set in Nazi-occupied Paris, Farewell Mister Haffmann presents the unusual pact between a Jew and a French Catholic, a moral contract that will change their destinies. A mixture of fiction and reality, the show is a mix of small intimate stories set against the backdrop of World War II, a story that begins in 1942 and ends in the present day, with the disappearance of a painting by Henri Matisse at its core. Confiscated by the Nazis and thought lost forever, the painting Seated Woman has returned home after more than 70 years. A national premiere, Farewell Mister Haffmann is both a page of history and a surprising life story, a drama with comic overtones and suspense, performed by actors Alexandru Potocean, Richard Bovnoczki, Alexandra Sălceanu, Emilia Popescu, and Andrei Finți. The first performances will take place on May 19th, 20th, 29th, and 30th, and the official premiere is scheduled for June 2nd and 3rd, 2021, at the NTB Painting Hall! Director Felix Alexa about the show:With a filmic structure and a very well dosed rhythm of the scenes, oscillating between the drama of family situations and historical context, the play Farewell Mister Haffmann seemed to me the perfect opportunity for an exercise in style and theatrical rigour.Together with a wonderful team of actors, I created a performance in which I set out to discover infinite human nuances expressed with maximum intensity and finesse. At the same time observing, with tenderness and humour, how paradoxical life can sometimes become, especially when we complicate it ourselves.Our show is about fragile beings thrown into the whirlwind of history and personal events that go haywire.A frailty that does not exclude strength and courage. The author Jean Philippe-Daguerre about the play:I am not Jewish, the playwright says, but anti-Semitism troubled me from an early age, from school.  The visit I made to Auschwitz when I was 14 years old disturbed me. The courage of my great-grandparents, who hid Jews in the cellar of their home during the Occupation, was another reason I wrote this story. It is important to remind people about the big history, if it will enable them to live their little histories better and, above all, not to repeat the mistakes that give rise to horror. From the French press:Currently being performed at the Petit Montparnasse Theatre, Farewell Mister Haffmann is one of the most beautiful successes of this beginning of the year. Jean-Philippe Daguerre's first play is a suspenseful story set behind closed doors. Is "courage stronger than fear", as Haffmann would have us believe?Le Parisien, February 2018 Another quality of the show is its intellectual honesty. No one here is either good or bad, just human beings trying not to degrade themselves too much in a difficult historical context where very few are truly heroes. The situation is powerful enough to make us understand the ambiguities of desire and the impossibility of innocence.Le Figaro - Jean-Luc Jeener, February 2018 You are most welcome to the theatre, the NTB halls have reopened! Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On Tuesday, May 11th, 2021, at 12.00, the tickets for the Pilot Programme were put on sale with the show The Dinner Game. The show will take place at the NTB Grand Hall, and tickets can be purchased exclusively online from the mystage.ro platform. Please carefully read the rules for participating in this pilot programme available on the ticketing platform. Updates on the Pilot Programme of May 15th, 2021 In the context in which it was approved, in the Government meeting of May 10th this year, the Decision on the extension of the state of alert that provides the legal framework for conducting test/ pilot events in the cultural field, the institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Culture will organize a series of pilot events, between May 14-15, 2021. The conditions for public participation in the show The Dinner Game - Pilot programmeof May 15th, 2021, at the NTB Grand Hall, were approved with certain amendments by the National Committee for Emergency Situations. Thus, access will be provided only to vaccinated persons, with a hall occupancy rate of 75% and with the mandatory wearing of a protective mask! Pilot programme details - This cultural event is part of a pilot programme on the resumption of performances in halls in the most relaxed conditions. Currently, at this stage of the programme, only those vaccinated against COVID-19 will have access, and in the future, depending on the epidemiological evolution, it will be extended to all art lovers. - Participation in this pilot show is done only for people vaccinated with both doses (complete immunization cycle with one of the authorized vaccines and 10 days after the booster). The verification will be done at the entrance by the employees of the theatrical institution, based on the identity card, through the STS platform. - Access to the performance hall is at least one hour before the start. Show details  Buy ticket   Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you to the theatre!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Starting May 6th, 2021, NTB-TV, the first television channel in Romania dedicated exclusively to theatre, returns to the NTB Youtube channel with a new series of shows, under the title It Is Happening at NTB. The new series of TV productions for the online environment will include magazine-style shows, which will present reports, interviews, portraits of the great actors of the National Theatre, memories of great performances, details about how theatre costumes are created in our workshops, backstage sequences, statements by the actors and the audience. It Is Happening at NTB is a series produced, like the previous ones, NTB Stories and Three Auspicious Hours (produced during the period of isolation imposed by the pandemic), by the promotion department of the National Theatre, which has thus managed to maintain contact with the audience during the complicated period of the last year. On May 6th, therefore, from 8:00 p.m., we are waiting for you on NTB-TV (Youtube NTB), to participate, with us, in the rehearsals, activities and preparations that the National Theatre of Bucharest has made during the period in which the theatres were closed. But you will see that things "happen at TNB" even when the spaces are not open to the public, so that new shows can be premiered as soon as the audience can get tickets, NTB-TV subscribers will be the first to find out about all the news and activities of the artists of the National Theatre of Bucharest. A reason for joy, which we all need, especially as the moment of the reopening of the halls is drawing close. Subscribe to our Youtube channel and you will surely become one of the loyal viewers of NTB and ...TNB-TV. You are most welcome! Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

Starting with May 6th, 2021, at 8.00 p.m., NTB TV returns with a new format to the theatre’s YouTubechannel. The first television in Romania dedicated exclusively to theatre, offers you a new series of bimonthly shows, under the title It Is Happening at NTB, pictorial-type shows, which will present reports, interviews, portraits of great actors of the National Theatre, memories of great shows, details on how to create theatre costumes in our workshops, backstage shots, statements of the actors, but also of the audience. We invite you to subscribe to our Youtube channel and you will surely become one of NTB's and ... NTB-TV’sloyal viewers! Even if the gates of the National Theatreof Bucharest were closed to the audience for a long time, the activity for preparing the new productions awaiting their premiere in the next period took place without interruption, in the rehearsal rooms, in the workshops and on stage.  The news that we were all waiting for came, that of the reopening of the performance halls! Therefore, we can announce that, on the evening of May 15th, 2021, the National Theatre of Bucharest resumes its activity, simultaneously in 4 halls. At the Grand Hall, within the pilot programme initiated by the Ministry of Culture (with participation rules that will be communicated in the next period by a Government Decision and tickets purchased exclusively online) will be presented the highly successful show The Dinner Game. In the other halls you can see the shows Little Hell (Studio Hall), Titanic Orchestra (Painting Hall) and Let's Talk about Life! by Ana Sorina Corneanu (Black Box Hall) - which is also the first release to the audience of the winning play of the UNITER award Best Romanian play of the year - 2019, starring Florentina Ţilea and directed by the young Zsuzsánna Kovács. Next, until May 24th, other titles cherished by the audience were scheduled, such as The Mousetrap, The Beauty of Venice in September, Allegro, ma non troppo, The Memory of Water, God Dresses from the Thrift, Rumors, TheCuriousIncident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Anonymous Venetian, Vivien Leigh: The Last Press Conference, Once Upon a Time in Romania, TwentyYears in Siberia, Incognito - one of the newest titles in the theatre's repertoire. On May 19th and 20th, 2021, the Painting Hall will host the first performances with the new show staged by Felix Alexa at NTB, Goodbye, Mr. Haffmann, a play written by French actor, director and playwright Jean-Philippe Daguerre, performed with great success on Parisian stages and crowned with no less than 4 Molière awards, in 2018. Cast: Alexandru Potocean, Richard Bovnoczki, Alexandra Sălceanu, Emilia Popescu, Andrei Finţi. At the Studio Hall, in an advanced stage of preparation, there is also the show Carnival Stuff by I.L. Caragiale, directed by Alexandru Dabija, with a spectacular cast and a surprising scenography (Liliana Cenean- costumes, Raluca Alexandrescu - scenery). Starting with Saturday, May 8th, 2021, the Guided Tours of the Theatre will be resumed, with 3 daily tours, on Saturdays and Sundays, every week (up to the participation of 10 people / tour). The halls, workshops and backstage of the National Theatre can be visited. Tickets are on sale both at the Theatre’sBox Office - for tours organized from the weekend of May 15-16, and online on the MyStage platform. For guided tours on May 8th and 9th, tickets can be purchased only online, on the MyStage platform!! (For additional information, phone: 021.314.71.71 - NTB Box Office). If you have purchased tickets for the shows in the current repertoire before March 8th this year, pay attention to the rescheduled shows, the start time may be changed, depending on the duration of the show, in order to comply with the current traffic schedule in Bucharest. We invite you to consult these details and the complete schedule of the performances on the theatre's website, at www.tnb.ro. We are waiting for you to return to the theatre!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu